


Delusions

by tenthdoctor



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: AU, Alice in Wonderland, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 11:03:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3526823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenthdoctor/pseuds/tenthdoctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Tyler is mad. She must be. Humans can't jump from their world to another - one with red queens and mad hatters and clever men who disappear here and reappear there - just by using a mirror. They just can't. So either, she's lost her head - or she's about to. Ten/Rose Wonderland AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, its characters, or Alice in Wonderland. All rights go to the creators of the two lovely sci-fi/fantasy creations!
> 
> A/N: This is my first story in a while (or it feels like it, anyway!) This is something I've been wanting to write for ages, but because of school and other things, I haven't been able to. Because of those same reasons, updates could be choppy. Either way, I hope you enjoy it! (Reviews are lovely little things!)

"Bottoms up!"

Rose took a final swig of the bottle in her hands, laughing brightly as Mickey burst into a fit of coughs. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of alcohol on his breath. Shareen giggled drunkenly by her side, swaying slightly to the music in the bar. Mickey looked into his nearly empty glass and sighed. Rose shook her head and checked the watch on her wrist.

"Alright," she chuckled, standing up and setting her empty bottle (most of which had been drank by either Shareen or Mickey) on the bar counter. Mickey looked at her with wide eyes, and then back to the television screen, where a new match was beginning. Rose rolled her eyes. "It's almost twelve, and I promised mum we'd be back by one. 'Sides, they'll play it again later, I'm sure."

"But Rose," Shareen whispered, fixing her with a wide stare. "It's the match.  _The_.  _Match_."

"That's what you said last time," Rose reminded her gently. She grabbed her friends elbow and pulled her up. Shareen stumbled a little, but managed to regain her footing. Pouting, Shareen placed her half-empty bottle on the counter, followed by a hesitant Mickey. "C'mon. I'm driving, alright?"

"I can drive!" Mickey argued, and Rose snorted.

"I don't think ya can see three feet in front of ya without being sick. I'm driving. No ifs or buts." Rolling her shoulders, Rose dragged the two out of the bar, relieved to feel the cool autumn air on her skin after being stuck in a hot, crowded, noisy bar for the past three hours. Mickey and Shareen chattered cheerfully with each other as they all but stumbled down the pavement. Rose smiled at them and stopped at the door of their car, reaching into her pockets for the keys.

The smile quickly faded as her fingers brushed fabric. She searched the others, and then let out a groan. Mickey and Shareen looked at her curiously. "I think I left the keys in the restroom. I'll be right back, alright?" She jogged across the street and then paused, turning back to face her friends, who both were beginning to stray away from the car.

" _Don't_  go anywhere!"

Shareen snickered, but Rose knew that she knew enough to stay put. Shaking her head and snorting to herself, Rose hurried back to the bar, ignoring a man's drunken whistle as she stepped inside. She threw open the door to the women's bathroom and looked around, biting the inside of her cheek.

She pushed open the cubicle doors, one by one, growing more and more nervous with each key-empty stall. A sigh of a relief slipped past her lips as she caught sight of the keys on one of the sinks.

Moving to the sink, she snatched up the keys, pausing to glance at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was ragged and tousled from Mickey's clumsy toying with it and dark, purple circles were beginning to form under her eyes from lack of sleep. Her makeup had smudged and begun to run, mostly from laughing too hard. She sighed and flipped the tap on, cupping her hands to collect a puddle of water in her palms. Once full, she splashed in onto her face, relaxing as the warm water touched her skin. She smoothed back her hair, running her fingers through it to untangle knots.

Rose looked back up and her heart stuttered to a stop as her eyes met with cold brown orbs, staring at her with a smile stretched across a man's lips. She shrieked and swung around, raising her hand to deliver a strike. Halfway, she froze, sucking in a shocked breath.

Empty. The room was empty. She scanned the bathroom, heart thumping in her chest like a bat's wings. Her mouth had dried out and her throat felt tight. Her eyes widened in disbelief and, slowly, she looked back to the mirror, panic flooding through her veins.

In the mirror, the man had backed up, and was leaning against one of the doors of the cubicle, but when Rose tried to turn to see him, the area appeared empty. She stared at him, wide-eyed and stiff. His head cocked, white hair swaying to the side as he did so. She watched, open-mouthed, as he raised a finger to his chin and pressed a finger to his thin lips before tapping the tip of his nose.

Rose took a step towards the door, her head beginning to spin. The man seemed to laugh in the mirror, but all she heard was silence. Standing up straight, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit bottoms and took a step toward her. Rose backed up, holding her breath.

A surprised yell ripped from her throat when the cubicle door flung open and a woman marched out, flashing her a sour look. Rose tightened her shoulders, and bit the inside of her cheek, eyes flickering back to the mirror. She expected to see the man standing in front of her, or something to that effect, but instead, he was gone. Rose slumped over, feeling sick.

The woman was staring at her, eyebrows pulled together. "Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly, her pink dress swaying as she turned to examine Rose. Rose smiled weakly and nodded.

"Too much to drink," she lied, then turned and fled from the bathroom before another word could be spoken.

She quickly left the bar, pinching her cheeks in hope of returning color to her skin. Thankfully, Shareen and Mickey were both still standing by the car, looking tired and bored. Rose managed to force a smile, and raised the keys. Her two friends clumsily jumped to their feet in relief.

Rose unlocked the car and climbed into the front seat, rubbing at her forehead. While it didn't seem likely, she tried to convince herself that what she had seen in the bathroom was just a trick of her mind. Caused by exhaustion or the small amount of alcohol she had consumed since the night began.

Neither of the explanations calmed her down, however. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the car seat, taking in a sharp, trembling breath. Shareen looked at her from the passenger seat and tilted her head curiously, her fingers hovering above the knob to turn on the radio.

"You alright, Rosie?" She asked, eyes slit in her drunken state. Rose nodded, but said nothing. Shaking her head, she tried to push the event to the back of her mind, and then started the car and began to drive home.

* * *

_**3 weeks later** _

"It was stupid. He was stupid. I can't believe you dated him."

Rose snickered and shrugged. "He's not that bad. He just gets rowdy." She tossed her hair back as she hung up a t-shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. Shareen rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"So do I, but I don't go around throwing fake insects wrapped in condoms at people, now do I?"

Rose laughed again, biting down on her lipR. "You could," she whispered, only to laugh harder at the exasperated look that Shareen threw her.

"Whatever," her friend sighed, running a hand through her brown hair. "Hey, come with me to the bathroom, would ya? I've got a date tonight with you-know-who, and I needa' fix my makeup."

Rose checked her the watch on her wrist and then nodded. "I'm basically off the clock now, so just let me finish this and I'll join ya, 'kay?"

Shareen nodded and sashayed away. Rose watched her go before quickly finishing hanging up the clothes on the rack. Her phone buzzed and slipped it from her pocket.

 _Unknown number_  flashed across the screen, and Rose tapped the ignore button. She placed the remaining shirts on the rack, and the jogged to the front of the store, nodding at her coworker. She ducked behind the counter, snatched her old, bright yellow handbag, and hustled to the bathroom. She paused at the door as her phone buzzed in her pocket again.

Once again, the caller was an unknown number - the same one. Rose hesitated before ignoring it again and pushing open the bathroom door.

Shareen stood in front of the mirror, using her fingers to wipe off makeup that had began to run. Her handbag was open on the sink, filled with an assortment of different cosmetics. Rose stopped and smiled, looking Shareen over.

Her long brown hair was curled and there seemed to be flecks of glitter here and there. She was wearing a tight pair of short cut jeans, showing off her long tan legs. Her shirt was cropped, so that from the front you would be able to see her belly button.

"You look cute," Rose chirped, and Shareen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks. Does my eyeliner look okay?" Shareen turned her head and Rose nodded.

"It looks perfect. I'm impressed. Last time I used liquid I smeared it up my forehead."

"I know, I was there. To be fair, you were pretty wasted."

Rose grinned and moved to Shareen's side, leaning against the wall. She watched Shareen proceed to fix her makeup and let out a sigh.

The brunette cocked an eyebrow, sparing her a glance out of the corner of her eye. "What's wrong?"

"Nuthin'. Long day." Her phone buzzed for the third time, and Rose let out a frustrated growl, sliding it out of her pocket. "Oh, my God."

Shareen frowned, twisting the cap of her mascara back on. "Who is it?"

"I don't know. It's a unknown number. This is the third time they've called."

"Answer it."

"Why?"

Shareen shrugged and bit her lip, flashing Rose a wink. "Maybe it's a cute guy."

Rose rolled her eyes but looked back to her phone, which was still ringing. She twisted her lips, and then gave in, pressing the answer button. She looked to Shareen as she pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Corner of Harvard and West."

"What?"

"The Corner. Of Harvard. And West."

Rose stood up straight, her eyebrows drawing together. It was a man's voice, definitely from London, but not somebody she recognized. "Who is this?"

"Doesn't matter," the man breathed. He sounded strained, worried, as if he was trying to stay quiet in fear he would be heard. Rose stiffened, biting down hard on her lip as the man continued. "Just go there. Corner of Harvard and West."

"Why would I do that?" Rose whispered, hand clenching around her mobile. For a moment, the other end was silent, and she feared that the man had hung up, but there was suddenly a crash loud enough to pierce Rose's eardrum. She jerked the phone away from her ear and frowned. Her eyes widened as a sound erupted from the speakers - someone was speaking English, but their voice…

It wasn't natural. It didn't sound human, and she couldn't understand what they were saying.

Rose's skin began to crawl and she shivered, catching her lower lip between her teeth. She took a deep breath and glanced at Shareen, who was watching her curiously as she reddened her lips with lipstick. "Hello?" Rose growled into the receiver.

There was minutes of silence, and Rose was about to give up when the line went dead. Her stomach churned and, slowly, she lowered the phone, staring at the screen. She pressed the end call button, staring blankly at the bathroom room.

Shareen cleared her throat, causing Rose to jump. She jerked her head towards her friend, her blonde hair curling around her neck and tickling her skin.

Shareen arched an eyebrow. Rose took in a deep breath, sliding her phone into her pocket. Her heart was hammering.

She really shouldn't go. She had no idea who it was who had called; going would surely end in disaster.

But she doesn't help the curiosity burning in her chest. She nibbled on her lip and looked towards the door, swallowing hard.

"So… who was it?" Shareen finally asked, and Rose took a breath, gathering her wits.

"Where's Harvard and West?"

"'Bout a block off from the chippy. Why?"

Rose shook her head and flashed a fake smile to Shareen. "I gotta' go. Have fun on your date, okay? I'll text you later."

"But -"

Rose paused with the door half open, shooting a guilty look to her friend. "I'm sorry, I really gotta' go." Without explaining, Rose hurried out the door and took a deep breath. Before leaving the store, Rose moved to her speed dials in her phone, and quickly entered the cops, silently praying that she wouldn't need to use it.


	2. Chapter 2

It was four in the afternoon by the time that Rose managed to hail a cab, get to the chippy, and force herself to walk down to the corner of Harvard and West. She found herself dragging her feet the whole way down the pavement. Her muscles were stiff and her heart was beating restlessly. She stopped a few feet away from the corner, and just stared.

She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting to see. Someone standing there, waiting, dressed in a long black trench coat, a suit, and sunglasses to hide their face, perhaps. That would have been cliche. She almost laughed.

There was nothing of the such, however. People were hustling around, as usual, but no one stayed more than a second or two. A few shot her odd or angry glances as they passed her, nearly bumping into her as she stood in the middle of the pavement. Rose felt stupid. It had been a prank call - of course it had. What else would it have been?

Ducking her head to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, Rose rounded the corner. She intended to walk the rest of the way home - it wasn't too far. But after a few steps, she found herself stopping. She glanced to the building on her right and blinked. It was abandoned, had been for ages. Rose had probably been in her early teens when it shut down. Inside was dark and empty, except for a green recycling bin and a few wooden boards that were leaning up against the wall. An old, broken ceiling light was dangling from the ceiling, attached by a few thin wires.

She cocked her head and frowned. The far wall inside had a door, which was swung wide open, and seemed to be broken at one of the hinges. Inside, a hallway, which took an immediate right. She looked around to make sure no one was watch before taking a few steps forward and pressing her nose to the glass window. She cupped her hands on either side of her face and looked around inside, peering into the empty building.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that there was a light in the hallway, flickering. Her eyes strayed to the entrance and she took several steps back. Was entering an abandoned building illegal? Surely, but if no one were to see her...

Rose shifted from foot to foot, weighing her options. On one hand; she could leave. Go home, and forget about the call. On the other hand, she could go inside. Just for a look, just to see if there was anything there. While the idea that the call had anything to do with this building seemed rather farfetched, it wasn't impossible, was it?

Making up her mind, Rose edged to the entrance door. Once, it probably had been boarded up, judging by the wooden planks propped up against the wall, but it looked to be easily opened, now. The window on the door was black - painted over, with a big white X through it. Biting the inside of her cheek, Rose took a step forward and grabbed the handle. She took a nervous look around, making sure no one was watching, before pushing it open.

She expected someone to yell at her, to drag her back out, but she stepped inside without even a glance from the strangers in the streets. Rose frowned, and took a step back, facing the open door.

She gasped suddenly as something spread over her skin, up her arms and neck. It felt wet, like water was dripping down her body, but when she raised her arms, they were definitely dry. She shivered uneasily, trying to shake the feeling away, but it clung on tightly.

The cold blast of air from behind her tore her attention away from the feeling. She shrieked and spun around, wincing as the door slammed shut behind her. Her stomach felt as if it had been twisted into knots and her throat was tight. She held her breath and scanned the room, her hands clenching into fists by her side.

Once it was clear that she was alone in the room, she sighed, and tried to relax, biting down on her lip. She glanced behind her, out the large window. It had started to rain, and the sound of the rain slapping relentlessly against the metal roofing and glass wasn't helping to calm her down.

She jumped as her phone began to ring. Crossly, she whipped it out of her pocket, looking down at the number. Mickey. Shaking her head, she hit the ignore button. She didn't have time to talk to him right now, and he was probably just worried about her, as usual.

Rose wrapped her arms around her waist and sighed, taking a step into the room. The old, wooden boards creaked underneath her weight and she jumped. Growling, she scolded herself silently. There was no reason to be scared. Chances were, there wasn't anything even in this building, other than her and her stupid fears. Shaking her head and forcing a brave expression, Rose let one arm fall to her side and used to the other to brush her blonde hair out of her face.

She took in a deep breath, and, with tensed muscles and a straight face, she stalked forward towards the door, frowning as the light flickered for a moment and the room went dark. A few seconds later, and it turned back on.

Despite herself, Rose could feel her nerves dancing in her stomach. She swallowed hard before rounding the corner, peeking down nervously. The only other place to go was a door at the end of the corridor, which was closed, but there was light spilling out from underneath the door. Tensing, Rose slowly edged down the hall, taking her phone from her pocket, just in case.

She stopped in front of the door, pursing her lips. Her eyes flickered down and she dropped to her knees, silently placing her hands flat against the door. Blinking, she leaned forward, trying to peer through the key hole. To her annoyance, all she could see was black, as if someone had covered it up with something. Frustrated, she rose back to her feet and took a deep breath.

Before she could second guess everything, Rose grabbed the handle and gave it a twist, throwing the door open.

She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting. A bunch of stupid teenage boys laughing at her as soon as the door swung open, or something far more horrifying, like a body. Or, perhaps, it would just be an empty room.

The last thing she expected to see was a mirror, placed directly across from the door, so that Rose could see her full body image in it. She frowned, glancing around the rest of the room. Spare a dusty, old chair, the mirror - which, she noted, was in shockingly good condition, with clean glass and a beautiful, silver frame - was the only thing in the room.

Snorting, Rose stepped inside, much more calm now that she was sure she was going to be okay. Putting her phone back, she swung her arm and lazily twirled in a circle to examine the room. The rain continued to batter at the rooftop, and in a few areas, it dripped through the ceiling, splashing onto the floor, creating a puddle. She wondered, for the first time, just how safe it was to be in this building.

She shook the thought off, and moved to stand in the door way once more.

"I'm almost disappointed," she said aloud, staring at herself in the mirror. She shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. She'd been stupid to think anything was going to happen in the first place. The caller must have just been some bored, freshman university kid and his friends who were looking for something funny to do.

Calmly, Rose strode up to the mirror and bent over, looking at herself in the reflection. She looked tired. Huffing, Rose brushed her hair back and tried to rub away the makeup that had run down her face. "Idiot," she mumbled to herself, cocking an eyebrow. It wasn't until she stood back up that she realized something. Something that made her heart stop and her body freeze in horror.

There was a man in the mirror, leaning against the closed door, and he was painfully familiar. The man in the mirror - the same one from the night at the bar. White hair, suit, and all. Rose's jaw tightened and she shuddered, fighting a scream. Her hand dropped to her phone in her pocket and she locked eyes with the man. He smiled and Rose bit her lip, feeling sick.

She wondered…

Lips pressed into a line, Rose hesitantly glanced over her shoulder and she sucked in a ragged breath. Not only was the man not there, but the door was wide open, just as she had left it.

She jerked her head back to the mirror, and he seemed to chuckle before beginning to walk forward.

"Stop it," Rose breathed, and to her own surprise, he did. He cocked his head, staring at her in the reflection with wide, almost offended eyes. Rose stood taller, trying to act as if she wasn't about to cry. "Who are you?" Against her will, her voice shook, betraying her.

The man, seemingly annoyed, raised his hand, pressing a finger tightly against his lips and shaking his head. Rose gritted the teeth, and for a moment, had to fight the urge to throw her clench fist to the mirror and shatter it. She hated this - the games he played, just to frustrate her.

She was mad. She had to be. What other possible explanation was there for a man who could only be seen in mirrors?

Slowly, Rose began to back up. She frowned as the sound of her footsteps came back to her ears, sounding slow. She stopped, eyes widening as a crackling sound began to flood her head, like a fire. Her hands slapped over her ears and she looked to the mirror, jaw clenched. The man seemed to be standing straight in front of the mirror. He should have been blocking her in the reflection, but somehow, Rose was able to see both herself and the impossible man.

She whimpered as her head began to pound and the crackling grew louder and louder until she felt as if her ears were about to bleed. "Stop!" She screamed, her throat raw. This time, it didn't stop. In fact, it grew louder, and Rose gasped as her legs began to wobble and tears pricked at her eyes.

Heart pounding, she dropped her hands from her ears, knowing it wasn't doing any good, and began to sprint towards the open door. She heard a faint growling above the crackling, and then winced as she felt something snap around her arms, as if she were being bitten by something with sharp teeth. It took her a moment to realize that running was doing her no good - the room seemed to be stretching out, twisting and curling around her, and no matter how far she ran, she was getting no closer to the door.

Rose bit down on her bottom lip, hard, screwing her nose up as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She couldn't run away, and she doubted trying to hide would do her any good. Sucking in a breath and wincing as the noise in her ears made her head pound, she whipped around, staring at the man in the mirror defiantly.

As quickly as it started, the noise stopped, and Rose let out a shaky breath of relief. The man slowly tilted his head, looking curious.

"This is in my head," Rose whispered, and the man smiled at her words. And if it's in my head, I can do whatever the hell I want.

Rose scowled, and then took a step back. The man's smile dropped and his eyes narrowed. Holding her breath, Rose turned on her heels and darted for the door. For a moment, she thought she'd be okay. She could run home, forget this happened, just as she had done the last time.

And then something touched her left side - something forceful and cold. She jumped to the side in shock. Before she could turn to see what it was, she felt it on her right, then once again on the left. It seemed to curl around her, like arms, and Rose screamed as it pulled her off her feet. Her head hit the ground, causing hot pain to shoot through her body. She pushed herself back up and attempted to scramble away from the room, but she was still being pulled back, by something too strong for her to pull away from.

Rose shivered as her back touched something cool; the mirror. It seemed to latch on, seemed to glue her to it. She realized, with a touch of surprise, that she was calm. Much calmer than she should be in this situation.

Something was keeping her steady, keeping her from panicking. Was something inside her head? The thought made her feel ill and she struggled against the force, her muscles tense and her face flushed of color. There was no where else for her to be dragged to, anyway. She was hard up against the mirror.

And then, as if just to defy her, the mirror seemed to melt. The glass seemed to splash into liquid, hitting her skin like a tidal wave. It burnt her skin and left splotches of red marks.

Her eyes widened and she let out a shocked shriek as she fell backwards, into the mirror, and everything went inky black.

* * *

 

She was falling. Falling, and it was his fault. His fault for alerting authorities, his fault for making the call. His fault for helping to pull her through the mirror. She was in danger, falling into Hell, and it was all his fault.

She'd sounded so innocent on the phone, so full of life. He almost laughed to himself. That wouldn't remain. She'd lose that, in Wonderland, like humans lost their keys. She'd come out sour and full of hatred and anger, if she even managed to live through it.

He took in a sharp breath as her body hit the ground, causing small critters to scatter and shriek. He looked to the Rabbit who stood by his side. As if able to sense his question, the white haired man looked to him, and he smiled.

"You're not entitled to know what the Queen's plans are, Chess. You should know that, of all people."

He stiffened, snarling at the Rabbit. "Don't call me that. Don't call me Chess."

The Rabbit simply chuckled. "It's your name. The whole of Wonderland knows it."

Chess looked away, swallowing hard. The name was poison, on anyone's tongue. It brought bile to his throat and made his head spin with better to be forgotten memories. "Not anymore," he growled, and then stood up, leaning on the nearest mushroom. He raked a hand through his thick brown hair, trying to force away the guilt he felt for putting the girl in danger. He sighed, and then looked back to the Rabbit, folding his arms behind his head.

"It's not something you can escape," the Rabbit muttered, pulling at the blue grass at his feet and crumbling it in his palm. "What's done is done. You can't rewind time."

"If only," Chess sighed. He shook his head. Talking like this with the Rabbit - as if they were friends - felt wrong. It was disgusting. Those days were long gone. Shaking it off, he smirked. "However, I can run. You know that, very well, Rabbit. You, on the other hand... you're trapped." And then, with a wink, Chess vanished.


End file.
